[no audio] >> good evening. i am very happy that you all are holding this hearing. it is a very different environment than the majority of hearings that take place in this chamber the deal with mental health. the majority of those hearings are about budget cuts. having worked in san francisco with homeless people who have psychiatric illness since 1988, i have watched the system dismantle itself. i have watched to be dismantled every 38 or four years, each time a new administration comes in. -- i have watched the system be dismantled every three or four years, each time a new administration comes in. i could give a history of what has happened in san francisco

since 1966 as a result of institutional nation. i have strong views on the legislative aspects of what you are talking about, including laura's law. started my non-profit because of his tired of what the publ department of public health was not doing. you cannot tell us there is no money in the city. there is a lot of money in the city. we provide services to perhaps 100 people a year for as long as 10 years or however long they need it. the doctors and psychiatrists we use volunteer their time. we probably under-pay our staff. that is fine. they're very devoted to what they do. the cost per client, per year is $3,500. conversely, it costs $34,000 to incarcerate the same person in the san francisco county jail. unfortunately, when people in up

in behavioral health court, that is what happens. they will only release people to programs. there are not enough beds in programs. people spend more money in jail because of the lack of facilities for people to go into this is not just true in the city. it is true nationally. i have some national statistics. this report was written in 2006. it says that 62% of every incarcerated population, 62% of people in jails, state prisons, federal prisons, and private facilities throughout the nation have a serious diagnosable mental illness. it is far greater than 10%. that number has been rising exponentially every year since the data was kept.

if you look at where was 10 years ago and where does now, the only thing that you can say is that our country's response is to a health issue and poverty. if you are disabled, the possibility of being poor is 100 times greater. this country has created systems that perpetuate the mass in corporat-- the mouse incarceratf people with mental illness. -- this country has created a system that perpetuates the massive incarceration of people with mental on this. that should frighten all of us. [applause] >> what is here now from dr. john dorsey. >> first off, and the consumer of mental health in the city of san francisco. -- i am a consumer of mental health in the city of san

francisco. i have now transferred to the veterans mental health. i am proud to say that i am a veteran. i like to direct expressly to you, the president of nami, that we're going to be in for a shock in the next couple of years was 70,000 in coming back that are going to be in bad shape from fatigue, mental stress, with real mental health problems coming back to the united states after we evacuate afghanistan and other places like that. nothing has been prepared. in san francisco. it is going to be just like when they came back from vietnam. they slept on the streets. 6. they were ignored. there were not allowed to be employed. -- they slept on the streets. they were sick. they were ignored. they were not allowed to be employed. there was an attitude in san francisco that was the opposite of what the world was going to.

we cannot do that again with a blindfold on. i am united states. force academy. i was with the first to the graduating classes and have spent time personally with the president of united states at the facility when mr. ford was first president of the united states. i am proud that i am a veteran. i do not like to what the industry and see a veteran -- i do not like to walk down the street and seek a veteran with a sleeping bag strapped to a wheelchair looking for a place to sleep at night. that is the degradation that causes mental illness and mental health stress, of surviving with no future. i will leave it at that. [applause] >> thank you very much.

our last speaker is -- >> i want to a knowledge the valuable comments regarding veterans and a huge amount posttraumatic stress disorder we will witness. he is absolutely right. i want folks to know that nami does have a national contract with the veterans administration. we're barely under way in terms of offering some of the joint programs. he is absolutely right. we are going to be in for it. thank you. >> our last speaker this evening will be chris, a resident of san francisco. >> my name is chris. i am a resident of san francisco. i have a disabled family member

receiving social security benefits. that helps to pay for a bed in a group home in the city. by and the -- i am the payee. she received a large back payment from social security. i am trying to learn how to manage the money from social security. it has confusing requirements that she must spend the money within several months or lose benefits because then she would have to much money to receive benefits. i was able to find out that the city of san francisco provides payee services for its clients. as a four weeks ago, these services have been closed because the staff has been overwhelmed. they are no longer providing these payee services to new clients. there is no waiting list. i was fortunate that the person

i talked to slid me under the back door to speak to someone she thought might be able to help meet in answering my questions. that person, with her expertise and experience, was able to explain to me how i could pre- pay rent and medical expenses for this family member to spend the money without losing benefits. i was very fortunate as a family member to have gotten some key information that would ensure that federal dollars are not wasted or lost and that there used to pay for my family member in the city. i wonder about consumers who do not have access to services from the city who lose federal benefits that are critical to provide housing and medical for themselves. it does not make sense to me that some cuts are costing as

much more than the cuts themselves. that is all i had to say. [applause] >> thank you very much, chris. i would like to thank supervisor john avalos for sponsoring the hearing. he has been a strong advocate and a good friend to the mental health board, especially during the budget season. he is the chair of the budget committee for the city and county of sentences. special thanks go out to drdr. quanbeck, jennifer friedenbach,

thomas jefferson, annette robinson, pam fisher, fred martin, dr. jones, susan mcintyre, virginia wright, tom purvixs, officer dunn. i like to thank you all for participating in this very special hearing. i would like to make sure that the things said this evening reached the ears of those in office at this moment. those who control the purse strings, those who make the decisions to make these cuts. we let you hear from firsthand responders, from those who are on the ground, from those professionals who have experience dealing with those in crisis. we've heard from the public this

evening, passionate testimony regarding help services help out and why we need to continue with services. with that, i would like to thank you all for coming. again, we have openings on the mental health board. i hope you will grab some of our fliers and get in touch with our staff to explore the possibility of being able to sit here and make changes have been -- happen. the mental health board has done fantastic things like bringing the mental health services act money into the state of california down to the san francisco county, sort of by passing some steps getting it directly on the ground. we've had hearings like this. we are more than happy to have more members come up. do i have a motion to adjourn?

>> do we have any comments? >> we have closed public comments. dr. jones, do you have a second? from officer kelly dunn. this meeting is adjourned. thank you. [applause] [no audio] ♪

>> welcome to culture wire. did you know the city of san francisco has an art collection consisting of 3500 objects? the collection ranges from painting and public buildings to murals, and from bronze busts in city halls, to cite specific structures. at this time, many of the large works are in desperate need of repair, and a long-term innovative solution is needed to make sure these public treasures will be cared for.

>> the story of the arts commission program begins with ruth fromstein. 2010 marks her 50th year as an art dealer. at the helm of the county, she had represented some of the most notable of bay area artists, and continues to look for new talent. >> the artists that i represent, what do i choose them, if asked to do with a background of what the gallery is about. i love the idea of finding new guys and watching them grow. it is the old fashioned way of having a nunnery, which is having a stable. what you have is loyalty to them, artists are loyal to you. the philosophy behind that, my

philosophy, has not changed since i started 49 years ago. i take care of you and you take care of me. it has been that way ever since. >> ruth represents the estate of the world renowned sculptor peter focused. in 1971, he created and the love the untitled public work cited at seventh and bryant. like many other public works of art, this is in need of repair. ruth began conversations with the director of cultural affairs, a andart care was born. >> we look at all of the local pieces and decided which one needed the most repair, to bring it back to where it was before. that is what i am after. if you drive by right now, you

cannot see it coming down seventh street. you can only see it as you come up to it. >> one's culture outside of the hall of justice was one of the first pieces commissioned after the 1969 ordinance. it is significant that we are planning to treat it as part of the art care program. the program intends to take care of the bronze sculpture located in very park, a monument to the korean community of san francisco. it has been in the park for over 20 years, has become a bit of a magnet for vandalism. we are also looking at several sculptures from henry more, one in front of the symphony building. we are also looking at yen and yang, a much loved peace --

piece. but the team has been damaged over time, so we need to treat -- patina has been damaged over time, so we need to treat it. >> roof and was given a lifetime award for her contributions to and influence over the bay area artist community. >> the lifetime achievement award -- it is embarrassing to me but i have to learn to accept it. this is the way it is. also, everybody here is good things happening about them after they are dead. i have the opportunity to see this happen while i am still lives. i look at this award as an opportunity for me to find a place for my craft and keep the art program going. >> the director of the program

address the crowd and ask for each member to consider donating funds to help save some of san francisco's most important neighborhood landmarks. >> as one of san francisco's living treasures, we respect you and, frankly, we are in off -- awe of your 50 years of tireless effort as an early art on from for north. >> i would like to be perhaps the first donation to our care and present you with a check to get the ball rolling. >> because i know that the arts commission is very sincere about this, i'm going to make a personal commitment of $10,000. [applause] >> what is significant about the program is the way it is set out allows us to treat the artworks that have the most need, the ones that our conservative have pointed out as the most vulnerable as opposed to ones that might be the most popular

were the most miserable -- the most visible. >> it is an opportunity for the public to get involved with these art works located in their backyard and ultimately belong to them. >> i want to do something for the community, just giving back what the community has done for me. it is corny to say, but it is true. it really is what it is. that i would be able to see more pieces cleanup. >>" will check back in the future and see the fruits of conservation and revitalization efforts. if you would find out more or donate to the art carethe artsfartcommission.org. who is on the fence as a grand

jury member to do so. as former supervisor and as mayor, it is equally valuable for people to participate as grand jury members -- to feel connected to the community in a meaningful way. this is a place where you can feel the kind of connection as a member of the grand jury, who is out there working in the interest of all san francisco's and holding in check members of our elected departments that need that kind of direction and advice from real people, not people with an ax to grind. not people with particular self- interest, but people that want to make our city a better place. thank you for your inspiration. i am encouraged by the fact you have taken enough time to pay attention to this. i am hopeful that you participate in this process, which i assure you will have great meaning in your life. >> i am grateful for having had the experience of being on a

civil grand jury, for the difference it has made for the city and in my own life, just being able to share the experiences i have had, to feel good about myself and what i have done for the citizens of this city. >> i found the grand jury rewarding because of the seriousness of the work and the prestige it gave me, the prestige of thing many of our elected officials, department heads, and many government employees work very -- were very kind in extending to us. it was very exciting. >> what i found most gratifying was, first of all, being part of a group of 19 incredibly different san franciscans, with a different backgrounds, different amounts of education, all kinds of professions -- stay

at home spouses -- it was a great mix. there were people i never would have met unless i had been part of that. the second thing that was incredibly interesting all year long were the investigations we were conducting with different agencies and departments of the city government. pulling together all of our different viewpoints in each of our presentations, and all our information and data -- we put that into a report. it was incredibly gratifying stuff. i guess the third gratifying thing was that in our particular year, 2000-2003, we had a number of reports that really made a difference. >> the court is now accepting applications for the civil grand jury. this watchdog body is comprised of 19 citizens selected by my colleagues on the court. the grand jury is charged with conducting independent,

confidential investigations of city departments, to insure these agencies are operating effectively and ethically. at the conclusion of its term, the grand jury publishes its reports and submits them to the presiding judge in to the departments that have been examined. departments have to respond to the findings of the grand jury and present their response at public hearings conducted by the board of supervisors. these hearings great public awareness and media attention for the challenges faced by city departments and provide a forum for civil dialogue to propose solutions to issues confronting our government. reports about disaster preparedness, the department of building management, and the fire department have an influential effect on change in the improvement of city services. >> a new reports and valuable,

not only as a mayor but as a member of the board of supervisors. poor me, it is always helpful to get a third set of eyes with someone else's perspective -- an objective perspective. grand jury reports provide that employee. i am someone that likes being challenged in terms of looking more critically at what we are doing in the city. i think grand jury reports provide the critical eye. i think the grand jury report that was most important from my perspective represented the first day i was in office as mayor. that was the report done years ago about the readiness of our disaster plans in san francisco. one of the recommendations that was made was to update our emergency operations plans. there were a number of specific -- specific recommendations we have completed. the consequences -- we were in better shape from a planning perspective because of the grand jury and the work that was done in that report.

>> the grand jury axe as a city watchdog to work that city agencies cannot be focusing on. over the years, and asking the tough questions that otherwise are not being asked. the civil grand jurors have the ability to ask questions of anything that they want within the city government. they get to ask the tough probing questions that we need our citizens to be asking. >> to me, the best thing was the impact that was made on the knowledge of the city.

>> one of the things that is mandated is to visit your jails. that was absolutely fascinated. all of the jurors went out into the community and we observed a lot of precincts. it was a terrific observation. you get to meet most major officials including the mayor,

members of the board of supervisors and their offices and department heads as well as having interviews with a variety of public and private sectors and many other agencies i don't know about. >> the followthrough was set for a particular concern to our grand jury. the toss grand jury reports have been given a great deal of initial support and attention and it will not always follow through. this will allow future grand juries to track the project of support for key issue is. the mayor's office was very supportive of helping to develop this database and spreadsheet.

>> we will begin to put things on line next year. we are improving our accountability. >> we have a very substantial debate about the reform. there is a crisis in our pension system. in the jury, they take issues that for whatever reason, they're complicated. they do the analysis. at the board of supervisors, we hold hearings on the outcome of

the findings of the reports. we can educate ourselves on the the good that we have done. >> i would say that the current board of supervisors seems to have an interest in implementing many of the issues that we raised. the future of the grand jury is very good. >> if you love the incredible community that we live then and we want to have a role in making it better and help serve the public. i cannot think it better way to do this than to serve the grand jury. >> we all do what we have come to do continuity. continuity is making sure that any recommendations have been